


Welcome To Miraculous Ladybug

by the_angst_alchemist



Category: Miraculous Ladybug, Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Anxious Carlos, Carlos and Cecil are Dorks, Cecil Has Tentacles, Cecil and Kevin are brothers, Cecil is Human, Cecil is a fighter, Everyone Needs A Hug, I wrote each chapter in a week, Kevin is not okay, M/M, Major alternate universe, Some sort of mistake, Suicide Attempt, There's extra things I've got written for this and idk if I'll post 'em, Trans Character, author kevin, but it's kinda sad overall okay, handicapped character, it doesn't work, it's a mess, it's an akuma it's fine it's fIIIIINE, love square, probably unfinished, that's way later, uh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 03:17:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8128355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_angst_alchemist/pseuds/the_angst_alchemist
Summary: Carlos just wanted a normal life in a new town. He wanted to have a normal time with all the others: His sister, his co-workers, the kinda nice sounding radio guy.Kevin thought he was a struggling author doomed to crash unless a new spark appeared. Just the younger brother of someone successful.Yet somehow, with the Miraculous they're stuck with, they can be so much more.But now Kevin and Carlos are stuck saving people in their alter-egos- and worse. Getting caught in tangled love triangles.But when Night Vale is in danger, someone has to answer. And if it's them.... Then they're probably doomed.





	

Carlos sighed as he leaned back in the chair. “It's a mess,” He muttered. “An absolute mess.” He shoved his hand through his hair, and groaned, “Days like this… I hate it, you know?” Paperwork. He hated it, having to do any amount for work usually made him want to fall asleep or panic. This time, it was panic. Dana, however, was there to give him words of reassurance. 

“There's not time for whining, Carlos. I've got my first day at work to go to.” Dana reminded him from across the living room. “Does this look alright?” 

Carlos leaned back further, nearly falling out of the chair. 

“Yeah. You look alright. Really, what do you expect me to say..?”

“Something more descriptive, maybe? I don't know,” Dana sighed. 

Carlos dragged his feet off the desk, and got up, straightening his lab coat. “Alright then. You look like you normally do. Now let's just go.”

“What's with the us?” Dana asked as Carlos led the way to the single car.

“It's a way to keep my mind off of scheduling and the million years that's going to take up. I call shotgun, by the way.”

“Good, ‘cause I'm not letting you drive.”

“Thanks,” Carlos muttered sarcastically, slipping into the seat. “Just drive, Dana.”

The drive was boring in its shortness, as Carlos rather expected a longer drive to whatever new job Dana had gotten this time. Yet within minutes, they stood at the door, Carlos a few seconds behind Dana as she calmly entered the radio station.

Night Vale Community Radio was a rather uninspiring building, with peeling black paint on the interior walls and dusty hardwood on the floor. More than a couple stains littered the walls, including a graffitied line of “Malcolm was here 2001” and a strange black stain that Carlos presumed was mold. The whole place put him on edge immediately, as it seemed almost exactly out a cliché horror movie he would watch with Dana. He found his hand grabbing hers, not out of fear for himself but for her.

A strange figure sat behind a panel of thick glass which blocked out each color and made him appear only as a hazy silhouette. All Carlos could see was a waving hand and the short hair on his head, making Carlos believe for the moment that this was a man. However, that hypothesis could be wrong.

“Dana,” He whispered, “Is that your new boss?”

“Well. It's complicated… he’s the radio host here, you see,” Dana breathed. “And he kinda does all the hiring of interns and stuff… But he's got a higher-up. He told me that much…”

“But is he the only one  _ here,  _ during the day, with you?”

Dana shrugged. “Yeah, I think so.”

Carlos's heart stopped. His only sister– or at least, the closest he had to a sister here– with an unknown man in a place out of a horror movie. 

“How much did you say this job was paying, Dana?” He asked after a long pause. 

Dana looked up at him. “About twenty dollars an hour for now. It’s only about two hours a day, though...”

Carlos wanted to say no and pull her out of there. He wanted to tell her that they were getting out and never going back. But if the money was enough that in a week, she could pay for all of their food for a month…

“Are you  _ certain _ we can trust him?” Carlos swallowed, nervously glancing towards the glass. The figure was gone. His heart raced, and he tried to focus on Dana to calm down. “If it's just you and him, then–”

“Carlos, he's gay,” Dana grinned. “Gayer than you, for sure. He says it all the time on the radio show. Still looking for a man, he says. No need to worry about me. Really, Carlos. I have a job now. I'll be okay.”

A voice from another room startled Carlos into nearly jumping into the ceiling. “Is that the new Intern? Dana, wasn't it?” A man eventually walked out, holding a coffee mug decorated with a cartoon octopus and an advertisement for an aquarium Carlos hadn't even heard of. 

“Sorry about that. I'm Cecil Palmer. Just call me Cecil, though.” He grinned, and gently rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Is this your boyfriend, miss Dana?”

“Just Dana's fine. And no. He's my brother,” Dana smiled.

“Oh. My apologies, then.” He grinned. “Don't worry. I'm not a stalker or anything.”

Carlos stared at Cecil, then at Dana, unable to even say a word.  _ New person alert! _ he thought, trying to lighten himself up with a joke. It didn't work. Dana noticed his discomfort. “Could I talk to my brother for a second? It's important,” she requested.  _ Thank you so much. _

Cecil shrugged, and walked off back to the room with the “On air” sign over the door. Carlos turned back to Dana after a second of staring.

“See? Harmless,” Dana comforted him. “Hey, Carlos, do you think that you could tune in to the radio every now and then? Now that I'm on it, I mean… sometimes… maybe…”

“Okay. Dana, just stay safe, alright?”

“No worries there, Carlos.”

“Good luck,” he stated flatly, still worrying, and walked outside.  _ Off to my own job now, I guess… _

His footsteps fell hard on the pavement sidewalk that led from the station to the lab. Carlos shoved his hands deep into his lab coat’s pockets, humming slightly as he walked to try and relieve the worry he felt for Dana and her new job. The thought of Cecil Palmer lingered in his brain, making him wonder if Dana was truly safe there.

_ Stop overthinking it, Carlos! She’s fine!  _ He thought to himself, frustrated.  _ She’s going to be fine. Besides, she’s happy. So stop being an idiot and just let her do her job. _

He looked around for a second, trying to get his bearings again in the town after having lost his way. Carlos glanced up at a sign: Rose Street and Amistad Boulevard. “So if I’m there… The lab’s off that way,” he muttered, and turned.

A man lay on the ground, struggling to reach for a cane. He seemed old, unable to move without it. Carlos ran towards him, and took the cane gently and handed it to the man, pressing it into his hand as he helped the old man to his feet.

“A-are you alright? You look like you took quite the fall,” he asked calmly as he could. The man smiled.

“Don’t worry. I’m okay. Thank you for your help.” The old man nodded, and turned to go. Carlos grinned, and started running the other direction towards his lab.  

He didn’t hear the chatter that followed him from the old man. “He’s the one, Wayzz.”

“Which one, Master?” Wayzz asked.

“Chat Noir.”

 

~~~~~

 

Carlos wasn't trying to show up late. In fact, he was trying to be early. But the traffic lights were against him, as was whatever it is that governs over the luck of humans, and he found himself slinking in five minutes late once again.

“Carls, can't you  _ try  _ to be on time for once? It ain't the first time Michael and me started an experiment without ya!” Olivia sighed from an experiment table. Her lab coat had an extra streak of black from the day before.

“How did you manage to set feathers on fire? We weren't even  _ near  _ fire last time I checked!”

“That's a funny story… blame Michael!” Olivia grinned, and ducked behind Michael's wheelchair.

“Aw, come on!” Michael complained, and looked over the back at her, rolling out of the way. “You can't just hide behind me! I didn't even do anything– you were the one who decided to try the Bunsen burner and nearly knocked it off!”

“Can you two stop arguing like an old married couple?” Carlos laughed.

“We’re not an old married couple!” Both of them nearly shouted in unison.

“Yeah, right,” Carlos replied sarcastically.

“Shut up, science guy,” Olivia muttered.

Michael smiled, and rolled up to Carlos. “So. How's the job hunt going?”

“Dana’s finally found a job she's willing to take with good pay. Weird co-worker, though.” Carlos shrugged as he pulled on a pair of goggles. “Could be worse.”

“Retail?”

“Radio.”

“Much better than retail, at least,” Michael replied. Carlos sighed.

“I guess so….” He turned to the old radio that had been sitting there since who-knew-when on the shelf. “Hey, Liv– do you mind if I turn on the radio?” He called out. Olivia shrugged.

“As long as it's not on pop music, I’m alrigh’ with it.” 

“It won't be.”

“Good, ‘cause you don't seem like the kind to do that.”

“I'm not going torture my ears for fun, Olivia,” Carlos joked, fiddling with the dial on the old radio. “Anyone know the channel for NVCR?”

“Oh, come  _ on,  _ Carls. You've lived here for how long and you still don't know that station?”

“Two months! And I don't even  _ listen  _ to the radio; I prefer CDs,” Carlos exclaimed.

“It's 99.5,” Micheal supplied.

“Thanks, Mike.” Carlos shifted the dial a bit more until finally a voice came out of the rusty speaker: Cecil Palmer, the strange man Carlos wasn't sure whether or not to trust.

“... is a rather nice candidate, I'm sure, but I don't really know if he's going to do anything other than just throw money at our problems and hope they go away. But that's the way of Marcus Vansten, right?”

“So that's Cecil Palmer, huh?” Carlos mused.

“Yep. Heard the name?” Olivia replied as he walked back over to try and work for a change.

“Met the guy. Sort of.” Carlos shrugged. “It's complicated.”

“Lucky.”

“I can't see why that'd be lucky…”

“Well, mostly, he's a pretty quiet guy. ‘Cept on the radio. Mostly keeps to himself ‘n’ all that. Pretty mysterious how he manages to keep the station running. Half the time it's just him an’ whoever owns the station. An’  _ no one knows  _ who owns the station, but it sure ain't him. Whole place’s a mystery. Not one any sort of science wants to take on.”

“Can you stop with the dramatics for three seconds and pass me that beaker?”

“Aw, but Carls, it's more fun this way!”

“Yeah, whatever, I still need that beaker if you don't mind. I'm trying to  _ not  _ blow things up. Unlike you.”

Michael snorted from behind them, and passed the beaker at last. “And now, a word of truth…” he muttered.

“Well, I ain't trying to blow things up either. It just happens.”

“And that isn't the word of truth,” Michael finished.

“Oh, shut up.” Olivia rolled her eyes.

“Alright, Liv.” Michael smiled slightly.

“Thank you, Mikey.”

Michael winced slightly at the nickname. “Just Mike or Michael. Please.” 

“Okay, Mike.”

“... Thanks for listening.”

The rest of the day dragged on like any other day, except for the disturbing lack of silence interrupted by music or talking by that voice. Carlos tried to split his attention and focus on his work, but he focused more on the sound whenever there was a pause. Cecil's voice felt more like a soothing blanket than an actual sound.

_ Maybe he is okay,  _ Carlos thought, looking at the radio with a slight smile.

“What, you falling in love with the Voice of Night Vale?” Olivia grinned. “Wouldn't be the first, I don't think.”

“...Voice of Night Vale?”

“Cecil. Just a nickname. Basically the whole town gave it to him, y’know. With a voice like that… He could probably tell someone to rob a bank, and they'd ask which one. He ain't persuasive, really, but he's the only guy who really speaks his mind and the issues for the community. Pretty nice.”

“What, are you in love with him?” Carlos smiled. “Based on what you're saying…”

“Eh. He's not really that kinda guy to me.”

“Really.”

“Just a radio host with a nice show, that's all.”

“If that's what you're saying, Liv…”

“You, on the other hand– you’re smitten.”

Carlos froze. “Me? In love with him? No. No way. I-I’m… Er, too busy.”

“Of course you are.” Olivia laughed. “Hey, Mike! Carls’s got a crush!”

“It's not a crush!” Carlos exclaimed.

“Then what is it?”

Carlos faltered. “Slight attraction towards a voice.”

“Now say it without the science…?”

“...fine. Maybe I'm a bit in love.”

“Told ya!” Olivia giggled. “Nerd…”

“Look who's talking.”

“You wanna go, Carls?”

“No way. You'd win.”

“Dang right, I would.” Olivia gently shoved him. “An’ I would do it with a grin too.” 

“And that, Carlos, is why I'm never telling her to fight me.” Michael muttered. “Anyways, you two…Looks like we’ve done enough for now, at least. Still got more, but all the experiments have wait times ‘til at  _ least  _ tomorrow. See you then?”

“Same time as always, right?” Carlos checked.

“No, five minutes before. Maybe that way you'll be on time in a roundabout way.”

“Oh, shush.”

 

~~~~~

 

Carlos’s right hand found its way to his pocket for the first time that day when he arrived home, reaching for a key to open the door. He already had gotten a text from Dana:  Out with friends; will be home later. Don’t wait for me.

He reached into his pocket to find a key, and instead he pulled out a ring box.

“The heck?” Carlos muttered, staring at it. He rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out the key at last, unlocking the door and shutting it behind himself. He opened the ring box cautiously.

A bright green light nearly blinded him, and he looked away, wincing slightly at the intensity of the light. A strange shape faded into view before his eyes, and he jumped back about a foot. A small black… rat… thing hovered before him. 

“Yep, I’m hallucinating now,” Carlos muttered to himself. “Tiny floating rat thing. I should go write this down or something, in case it isn’t…” He pulled out his phone, and tapped frantically to the note app.  Tiny black rat thing. Floating in the air. Staring at me. Note to self: you’re probably hallucinating/dreaming at the moment.

It yawned as he watched, typing frantically to try and get everything down. “Are you going to actually look at me, or…?”

“Wow. You’re as bad as Olivia,” Carlos mumbled, then looked up. “Oh! OH NO, IT TALKS TOO!” He jumped back, holding the phone as a sort of weapon in his panic. His other hand grabbed the couch he had bumped into.

“It?”

“YOU! What the– What even are you?”

“I’m Plagg.” It replied, and floated off to look around. Carlos chased after it. “What’s this?” Plagg asked, landing on a microscope. It wrapped its mouth around the eyepiece. Carlos made a note to disinfect that later. He reached out slowly, and tried to grab Plagg. Much to his excitement, it worked. He held Plagg tightly, and looked closer, putting his phone down to hold him with both hands.

“What… What even are you? A- A Plagg?”

“No, that’s my name, stupid. I’m a kwami. And I grant the power of destruction.”

“No wonder. You’re certainly trying to do that to my home.”

“Can I get some food first? It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten…” Plagg complained. Carlos sighed.

“Fine. What do you even eat? Birdseed? I mean… I don’t even know.” Carlos ran a hand through his hair, worrying once again.  _ What even am I supposed to do with this… Plagg thing?  _

“Cheese.”

“It seems my initial ‘floating rat’ thought was right.”

“That’s just rude. Can we go get some cheese first?”

“If you’re rude to me, I’m rude to you.”

Carlos fumed, but walked to the fridge, opening it with one hand. “Fine. Just take the cheese.” That was the worst idea he remembered having: Plagg slipped out immediately, and all of the cheese was gone before Carlos could even blink. “Note to self number eighty-three… Get more cheese,” he mumbled.

“So. Now that I’ve eaten…”

“What’s with the ring box?”

“Well, I wasn’t the only thing in there.  _ Obviously, _ ” Plagg grumbled. Carlos looked back at the ring box, and picked it up. A simple ring sat inside, plain black and sleek with a circular piece of metal on one side. Carlos gently wriggled it out of the padding and looked at it closer. It was most certainly some type of metal, and it felt sleek and smooth. Steel, perhaps? Carlos didn’t know. He rolled the ring around in his hand.  _ Maybe I should check the size…?  _ He took the ring in two fingers and placed it on his right hand’s ring finger. A perfect fit, almost as if it had been made for him to wear and no one else.

“So. What is the ring for…?

“It’s how you use the power I give you.”  
“And what if I don’t want any power, and would prefer to just give this back to whomever the owner is?”

“Fine then. Let’s give it back to its owner. Just give me a sec to find them. Found them. They’re right in front of me.  _ You’re  _ the owner, Carlos.”

“How do you know my name?”

“The same way I can give you a power.”

“If you dare say magic…”

“It’s magic.”

“Screw you.”

“Well, would you prefer I lie to you, Carlos?”

“You still haven't explained how you know my name.”

“I just said. Magic.”

“Magic isn't real. Sleight of hand and stupid luck. It's not–”

“Stop being such a scientist and  _ relax. _ ” Plagg sighed. “This won’t be any fun if you don't.”

“Do you know how terrifying that sounds?”

“No, because it doesn't. You're really dense.”

“I'm not  _ dense. _ I'm a scientist who is currently most certainly hallucinating.”

“Can you stop denying what's right in front of your face? Do I need to pinch you?”

“Fine.” Carlos reluctantly held up his arm. Plagg grabbed him, tightly squeezing in a gesture that was like human pinching in an odd way. He bit his lip. 

“There. Is that enough to convince you?” Plagg drew back, hovering in his face.

“...I'm still not doing this. I'm not getting drawn into magic. Just take back the ri–”

“Wait.”

“What is it now?” Carlos complained.

“There's something important you need to know about the power. You become a superhero.”

“So?”

“With mine, you become Chat Noir. He's handsome and charismatic and always has a wonderful partner. But most of all, the identity of Chat Noir has been used for one thing each time.  _ Freedom _ .”

The word rang in Carlos's mind.  _ Freedom.  _ The one thing he had always wanted, freedom from his worry and his anxiety.

_ Maybe _ ...

Carlos finally relented. “... Keep talking.” 

Plagg cleared his throat, and settled down on top of Carlos's shoulder. Carlos turned to look at him.

“Chat Noir always has a partner–sidekick, sometimes, and sometimes he's the sidekick– named Ladybug. They fight whatever is the main issue. And I don't even know what it is this time. The ring you have on your hand, it’s your Miraculous. Keep it safe. If you say ‘Plagg, transform me’ then I transform you using it.”

“Keep it safe, you said… Safe from who?” 

“Safe from everyone.”

“Even Dana?”

“Even Dana.”

“Keep going.”

“Well, Chat Noir has a staff that he can use to do just about anything as well. Oh, and that might be important: You can use Cataclysm to destroy one thing. It works once per transformation, and y–”

“Cataclysm? With a black cat. Are we serious here?”

“Yes, very.”

“If you're lying, I'm not going to buy more cheese.”

“...Back to what I was saying! You detransform in five minutes after you use it. Other than that, transformation can be as long or short as you want. There, that's the rundown.”

“...So… I just… Plagg, transform me!”

 

~~~~~

 

Carlos's day wasn't the only weird one. A man elsewhere in the same town found himself sitting at  another desk, falling asleep on a sheaf of papers instead of writing.

“Kevin, I'm off to work.” His older brother called out to him. “Don't forget to get the milk, okay?”

“... Eurgh…”

“I thought Tumblr would've taught you to not take naps.”

“Only experience… Gah… worst pillow ever…”

“I would guess that… Paper isn't a good headrest, Kevin.”

“Just stick a pencil in me. Maybe it'll help with ideas too.”

“Yeah, no.”

“Aw.”

“I’m not stabbing anyone today.”

“So is tomorrow okay?”

“If I can fit it into the schedule, fine.”

“Thanks, Ceec.”

“Don't forget to actually do some writing instead of just scrolling Tumblr, alright?”

“Aww.” Kevin laughed slightly, and tried to stand, gathering his papers. “Well. I'm gonna go try at the coffee shop down the road; see if the people there give me ideas, maybe get a drink.”

“Good luck there. Don't forget to take money if you do.” Cecil opened the door to their home, and left.

Kevin just watched, then tried to shove all of the papers into a bag messily. He slung it over his shoulder, and made for the door. 

“Pencil!” He reminded himself, and scrambled back to his desk to grab one. “Don't know where I'd be without it.” Kevin opened the door, and walked outside, shutting and locking the door behind himself.

The day was bright and beautiful, and he grinned to see the area nearly sparkling in the sunlight. The brightness was a blanket of peace over the town, and Kevin couldn't help but whistle a tune as he walked along down the empty street.

Mostly empty, at least.

Somehow, Kevin found himself walking right into who was probably the only man on the street with him. The man fell backwards and to the ground. Kevin swallowed nervously, and knelt down to help him up and to grab the man's stuff and help him by putting them back in the man's bag.

“Sorry, mister– I really wasn't focusing. You're okay though, yeah?”

The man smiled. “Don't worry. I'm okay.”

“Oh, thank the gods,” Kevin mumbled. “I'm really, really sorry. I really just– well, uh, I'm a bit clumsy, I guess. And the way the sun's out, and so pretty, well, I can't help it. Just makes me happy to be alive, y’know? Oh, great. I'm rambling again. Sorry, sir. I- I hope I didn't hold you up or anything.” Kevin shut his mouth, and walked around the man.

The coffee that day was mediocre and a bit too cold, but Kevin didn't complain. It wasn't going to put a damper on his perfect day. A day when maybe he could actually write that chapter he had been dreading. He reached into his bag, and rummaged around for a pencil and paper once again. His hand knocked into something wooden, something he didn't recognize. He opened his bag wider, and stared at it for a second. A wooden box, hexagonally shaped and too small to hold much more than a single object. He shrugged, and put it back inside.

_ If I open it here, it might be some plot thing and someone might steal it,  _ He thought.  _ Idiot. You're not a book character. But what if that did happen in the story? That would be interesting… Random object shows up, someone tries to steal it to show it's important? No. Unlikely… _

He finally found a piece of blank paper and a pencil, and began to quickly scribble a chapter into existence, pausing only twice to sip and grimace at the bitter coffee. 

_ Next time I should take more sugar. Or maybe I should just go home and open that box. I certainly could get a better drink there… just finish the chapter first, Kevin.  _ Kevin sighed, and scrawled a few more words.  _ There, isn't that enough? _ He asked himself, and stood, shoving it into his bag.  _ You can edit it after you figure out what that box is and where it's from and why it's there and whose it is. _

Kevin’s pace was much quicker on the way home, and he held his bag close to himself.  _ Just get it home, open it there, you'll be okay. Just get it home…  _ He thought, repeating it to himself like someone would repeat a to-do list. He arrived a bit later. Too much later, he felt. The suspense of every single second with that box burning a hole in his bag was a ticking clock, a feeling of impatience that Kevin couldn't control at all. He  _ needed  _ to open that box, to relieve the suspense.

Yet as he slipped into his home and dropped his bag to grab the box and stare closer, he forced himself to go slowly, to admire the carvings, to trace his fingers across the delicate designs, to search the bottom for a signature or label. Nothing pointed him in any direction that he could say. Kevin finally stared at the latch to the box, and gently, slowly, silently, he opened it.

A bright light, a crimson–no, more like a vibrant cherry-ish shade– light. It flooded his view every time Kevin opened his eyes, and he dropped the box in shock.

A small tap on his nose brought him to open his eyes, and he stared at the creature which had done it. A small, red and black-spotted thing that looked slightly like a ladybug and slightly like a rat.

“Woah. Hi,” He breathed. “Are you a fairy?”

“Nope. I'm a kwami.” The thing's voice was certainly feminine. Kevin blinked, confused.

“A what-ee? Miss Ladybug, I don’t understand.”

“A kwami. I give someone a power.”

“Heck yeah, that's awesome! Wait. Hold up. Are you saying you're giving ME a power?”

“Yes.”

“OH MY FANFIC!” Kevin nearly squealed with excitement. “Me?!”

“Yes, you, Kevin,” She laughed.

“You know my name… Okay, that’s cool,” Kevin grinned. “So, am I hallucinating due to too much coffee? I didn't even have that much. Ooh, maybe someone laced it with something!” Kevin shrugged. “Or are you really there? Just– uh, punch me if you are.”

Tikki nudged Kevin's face with a hand. “Right here.”

“Woah. I've got a freaking fairy with a superpower,” He joked. “That's fine.”

“...That works, I guess.”

“Cecil’ll be so–”

“No!” Tikki exclaimed suddenly.

“Huh?” Kevin blinked. “Is my brother some sort of evil mastermind and he can't know?”

“Where did you get that idea from?”

“I… Uh, I read a bit?” Kevin shrugged. “Just a guess. Would be interesting.”

“He's not, I'm sure of it. But–”

“Every superhero needs a secret identity?”

“Yeah.”

“This is awesome! I- I mean, I  _ have  _ to tell Ceec, but that ruins it– But isn't it easier to keep a secret if you can talk to someone? Please, Miss Ladybug?” He begged. “My bro would  _ kill _ me if he knew I was a superhero and I didn't tell him…”

“You can't tell him.”

“Why not? Wouldn't it be safer this way? We're identical, so if we really need to– Like, say I get in an accident and can't use my legs. Cecil can go and take over until I'm okay. And- And then we don't have to put up with dramatic reveals of ‘WHAT YOU'RE THE SUPERHERO? I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU!’ and all that, y’know?” Kevin crossed his arms. “I'm telling Ceec, and that's that.”

“Kevin, it's–”

“An unspoken thing. I've read enough books and seen enough shows– Cecil. Gets. To. Know.”

Tikki sighed. “Okay… But if it ends badly…”

“Then you can do whatever you want. I mean, honestly. He's my twin brother. And he's not evil. It's what happens in books, the twins swap places at least once…”

“This isn't a book, Kevin.”

“I know. But maybe it's gonna be better this way, if we just… You know… Reconcile reality and all that book-y stuff.”

“It's not like that all the time.”

“I know. Reality is less realistic.” Kevin smiled. “I mean, you came to  _ me.  _ Out of all the people in this entire world, or maybe just the country or state, me. The author who probably should actually finish a book. And that's probably the most unrealistic thing. ‘Cause honestly, anyone's more qualified than me. Maybe Lauren? She's my editor, I could give you her card if you want…”

“There's a reason you were chosen. You can be the best Ladybug there is.” Tikki grinned back. “And the possibility is endless, Kevin.”

“Maybe with someone else…”

“With  _ you. _ ”

“I… I wish.” Kevin shrugged. “I don't have luck like this. I just sort of hope and it sometimes goes okay.” He smiled. “But yeah…”

“Kevin. Listen to me. Things are going to happen around here, I know it, and you're the one who's going to stop them.”

“I'll believe you when I see it.” Kevin smiled a bit. “And knowing my luck, it's going to be soon.”

 

~~~~~

 

Olivia's day started off on the wrong side of the bed.

Everything seemed to go terrible from the very instant she had stepped into the lab. Or rather, stumbled.

“You okay, Olivia?” A voice called. Olivia brushed off her knees and got up with a smile. 

“Yeah. I'm alrigh’, Mike.”

The rest of the day was anything but. If there was a record for number of trips, she probably would've broken it if she had been counting. It was only luck that she hadn't hit her head on anything. It still felt like she couldn't manage to do anything right. 

The final straw was when her clumsy hands broke a Bunsen burner within seconds. The wire popped clean off, no touch or anything needed. Fine, she had bumped it slightly. But since she had been the one closest to it...

“Do you need to take a break or something, Liv?” Carlos asked. Olivia glanced up.  _ Is he asking if I'm gonna take a time out? I'm not three! _

“I'm alrigh’, Carlos,” She felt less adamant than she sounded. Carlos backed off at least for a second.

“Liv, if you honestly are going to be in that mood… just take a break, alright?”

Olivia glared for a second, but then stormed out after that comment, not even bothering to leave the burner behind. Carlos only stared.

“What's gotten into her..?” Were the only words Olivia heard before she slammed the door behind herself. She found herself on a fuming path to Grove Park before she could stop herself from running out the door. She wasn't crying, but she felt like she should be. Her hands fiddled with the broken Bunsen burner she had bumped into just that day.

She muttered under her breath, “It's not  _ my  _ fault that it all just goes up ‘n flames! Just a bit o’ luck–or the opp’site, I guess. But  _ those two  _ and their stupid  _ jokes  _ an’ how they don't even  _ listen  _ when all I'm doin’ is tellin’ the truth! Sure, I ain't too balanced ‘r whatever, but that ain't no reason to just blame  _ me  _ for all o’ it!” Olivia fumed, and plopped down on the park bench. “I just don't understand…”

Somewhere else, a man smiled. “Emotions always run high where logic runs higher. A science lab is perfect chemistry for a reaction.” He wrapped his hands around one of the perhaps millions of butterflies flapping around the room, and its white wings became a dark purple mixed with black. “Fly away, my little akuma! And bring the fires of anger to our side!”

The akuma flapped its way towards the park, landing on top of the burner clutched in Olivia’s hands. Somehow, it was absorbed, and a dark smoke coated the burner for just a second and followed to wherever the akuma had gone. A purple outline of a butterfly mask appeared, and she glanced up from the ground to see a face. It wasn’t that handsome. A sharp chin, crystal blue eyes, a silver mask covering everything else.

“ExplosLiv,” He began, “My name is Hawk Moth. I am giving you the power you need to tell those who mock you what you can truly do. In return, I need you to get two things for me: The Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir. Can you do it?”

Olivia grinned. “Can a piece of paper catch on fire? Of course.”

A splash of dark smoke spread out from the bunsen burner to her head and feet, and changed everything she was. Her clothes became a simple red suit with black sleeves and shoes. Her skin became a pale red tint and her hair twisted itself into a dark red ponytail at the top of her head, reminiscent of a mushroom cloud of smoke after an explosion. The bunsen burner in her hand grew into a larger silvery object– A flamethrower.

A smile grew across her face. “Let’s get cookin’!”

She pointed the flamethrower at a nearby tree to test it, and twisted a knob gently. Immediately, a large plume of flame engulfed the tree, incinerating it in seconds. Olivia–No, ExplosLiv, now– laughed.

“Beautiful,” She stated flatly, and started to walk off. “Now for those two to see…”

 

~~~~~

 

It took about ten minutes for the news of a pyromaniac with a bizarre flamethrower to reach Kevin in his home. Tumblr was already screaming about it, or so his phone said. He ran a hand across the back of his neck, and looked up at the small kwami before him.

“What am I supposed to do, Tikki?” Kevin asked, biting his lip slightly. “S-Somebody’s a pyromaniac, and there’s burning things, a-and I don't know what–”

“Well, did you keep that box? You need to get the earrings.”

“Hold up. Earrings? I’m a guy… And my ears aren't pierced.”

“It's okay,” Tikki assured him. Kevin quietly walked over to his desk, and grabbed his bag, opening it and pulling out a hexagonal box. He gently opened it again, and noticed this time the two earrings sitting inside.

“... So I suppose you're right, huh? About that things would happen and I'd have to stop it?” Kevin mumbled, and pulled the earrings out. “Just stick a pencil in me.” He pressed them around his ears.  _ Thank goodness for slip-ons. _

Kevin looked at Tikki and nervously fidgeted with his hands. “I… I think you have the wrong person still.”

“Nope. You're the one.” Tikki smiled. 

“So what do I do..?”

“Okay, so, you just say ‘Tikki, transform me,’ and I'll turn you into a superhero. I give the power of creation. Basically, you just say ‘Lucky Charm’ and you'll get something you can use to fix what's going on.”

“So… Tikki, transform me!” 

It felt natural but weird to transform like that. The mask sat uncomfortably on his face at first, but after a few minutes of trying out the yo-yo it felt like a second skin.

Kevin stumbled out the window using the yo-yo, landing in a somewhat lit square that he didn't recognize. He stumbled as he landed as well, shivering slightly in a mixture of excitement and fear. 

“ _ Tikki?” _ He whispered. No one replied. Tikki wasn't there. He swallowed nervously, glancing around.

“Need a hand, Ladybug?” A voice startled him, and he held the yo-yo offensively in fear.

“Wh-Who’s there?!” He called out. The voice laughed, and a figure jumped down from above, landing in a perfect 3-point landing. He had black cat ears and a black cat tail. His hair was black with a single white streak, and it flared out around his face perfectly. His eyes were a deep chocolaty brown, his face dark tan, and he clutched in his hands a long silvery staff.

“The name's Chat Noir. I suppose you're Ladybug. It's the getup. Partners?” Chat let go of one end of the staff, shrank it to fit in his hand, and stuck the hand that wasn't holding the staff out to Kevin.

Kevin only stared at him for a long moment.  _ Isn't it illegal to look that perfect? It should be. _ Finally Kevin snapped himself out of his thoughts. “I’m– er, yeah. Partners.” He shook Chat’s hand. “Y-You called me...?”

“Ladybug. Based on the outfit and all, it felt like a good hypothesis.”

Kevin looked down at himself. A red and black-spotted jumpsuit with the yo-yo easily fastening to his waist. Almost like, as Chat had said, a Ladybug. Kevin grinned up at Chat. “Yeah. That's me. Nice to meet you.”

**Fwoooosh.** Behind Chat, a fire began. Ladybug let his jaw drop, and Chat turned around to see bright flames illuminating the town.

“And it seems we have work to do,” Chat noted. “Let's go.”

“Geronimo,” Ladybug replied, under his breath.

 

~~~~~

 

Carlos didn’t expect for that to go as well as it did. Not at all. He didn’t expect for Ladybug to easily believe him, nor for his offer to be accepted that quickly.  _ I’m not screwing this up. _

Chat Noir. He had to be Chat Noir. Not Carlos Montoya, Chat Noir. The two had to stay separate.

After all, he was only the simple, anxious scientist named Carlos Montoya. And if Ladybug–Or worse, the media!–got ahold of that knowledge once Chat Noir was well known, the press would ruin his life.

_ Too fast, Carlos. It’s not happening. You can do this. _

Ladybug’s footsteps followed Chat as he continued to run, thankful for the practice he had put in the night before with the wind in his hair and the stars as his only light. There was no night lights yet, only the sun and the burning flames to light his path.

Thank goodness Michael hadn’t noticed anything off, especially since Carlos had told him that he had to go do “stuff”– He hadn’t specified what. Probably the most suspicious thing he could have done, he realized. 

_ What if he figures it out? _

Chat’s worries were cut off by a sharp turn to avoid a wall. “Be careful, Chat!” Ladybug warned him a bit too late. He didn’t reply.

He froze when he recognized the shape before him, Ladybug running right into him and nearly bowling him over. “Chat, what–”

“That's Olivia. Er, I know her. A– An acquaintance. That's all. She's not like that usually…” Chat stammered slightly.  _ Liv! What the heck happened to Liv?! Would Plagg know? He seems to know more than me about this stuff… _

“I'm going to be back. I have to talk to someone. Don't follow me.”

“Talking to your kwami?” Ladybug asked. Chat nodded simply, and ducked into an alley, de-transforming only once he was sure Ladybug wasn't watching.

“That was quick,” Plagg mumbled.

“I need to talk to you. Liv. She's out there. Something about fire and she's not usually like this. What do I do. What's going on.” Carlos's words blended together in his panic. “And Liv. I– She’s not this person but she's–”

“She's been akumatised,” Plagg interrupted.

“A-what-ised?”

“Akuma.”

“How do I help her? And–and the town?” Carlos ran a hand through his hair nervously. “I–I can't just–”

“Can you be calm for five minutes?”

“No, thank you very much!” They sat in annoyed silence for a long moment before Carlos finally relented. “What's an akuma?”

“Alright. So. An akuma is a small little butterfly thing. It goes into their object, and they can then make the person a superhero or supervillain, and basically amplify one emotion. Supervillains, it's negative; superheros, it's positive. Easy,” Plagg explained.

_ It's not her. She's not doing this on her own. She doesn't want to. Thank goodness.  _ “Okay, so how do we fix Olivia?”

“You find the object it went into, break it, and Ladybug  _ has _ to catch it and de-evilise it with his yo-yo. Got it?”

“Got it. I'll get you some good cheese later. Now I gotta get back out there. Ladybug needs me.” Carlos grinned slightly. Plagg returned the smile.

“That's the spirit.”

“I don't want to let him down. But Plagg, what if I d–” Carlos worried. Plagg cut him off.

“Stop there, and go.”

“...Fine. Plagg, transform me!”

 

~~~~~

 

The thing that scared Kevin–Ladybug– the most was the thought of a girl with a flamethrower. An angry girl with a flamethrower, nonetheless, who seemed out to get someone that Ladybug didn’t know. She didn’t even notice him yet, as he watched from a distance, making sure everyone was safe. The woman whistled a tune as she torched the trees. It was flat, he noted, but didn’t say. “Alrigh’, so, if I’m here, the lab’d be off thataway,” She said to a nearby sign. A lab? A scientist, perhaps. 

_ Why are the scientists always important in superhero stories? It’s not really fair to other professions… _

He cleared his throat. “Hey, miss! You get fired or something?” He joked, grinning and pulling out the yo-yo. A groan distracted him for a second, and he turned to see Chat calmly approaching, tail swishing gently as he walked.

“One: I’m not ‘miss.’ It’s ExplosLiv. Two:  _ I  _ didn’t get fired. But you sure will soon enough!” ExplosLiv turned the flamethrower on them, and Chat leapt into action, twirling the staff and jumping out of the way. Ladybug went to the other side, trying to help in any way.

“Get the akuma!”

“THE HECK’S AN AKUMA?!”

“I’ll give you a crash course in that in a while. For now, get the flamethrower, and I’ll tell you the rest as we go. You have a power too, right?” Chat asked as they continued dancing around, avoiding the flames.

“Yeah.”

“Then use it, Ladybug!”

Ladybug had to resist facepalming at his own stupidity, and he swung the yo-yo upwards to dodge another blast of flame. They always kept coming, and soon enough he and Chat would be cornered.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug yelled once he landed on a building, thrusting his hand upwards.  _ I hope this works. I probably would look like an idiot if it doesn’t… _

Something landed in his hand, and he pulled it down. A coat hanger. Out of everything, a coat hanger.

“Well, what happened?” Chat asked.

“I got a coat hanger!” Ladybug complained.

“Yeah, go ask her if she has a coat you can take. You’re helpful,” Chat nearly hissed. “We’re screwed.”

“Well, you’re just a ray of sunshine.”

“I’m a realist, not an optimi–”

Ladybug tuned him out, looking around.  _ There has to be a way to do this. Come on. Come on… There’s a large staff. There’s a lot of buildings. There’s a twisty part on the coat hanger. That could work. _

“CHAT, I NEED YOUR STICK!”

“Of all the ways you can put that, that.” Chat reluctantly threw him the staff. Ladybug laid it down, and hit the extension button until it stretched to the building across the plaza-one much lower down to the ground. He hooked the hanger on the staff, and clung to it with one hand, jumping with both feet and swinging out as if on a zipline. With the other, he reached out towards the flamethrower.

Chat grinned, and ran straight at ExplosLiv, then jumped right over her. She left the flamethrower pointed upright, just in time for Ladybug to grab it.

“Thanks, Kitty!” He grinned. “What next?”

“Break it. An akuma comes out, catch it with the yo-yo, and then it’ll be alright!” Chat called back.

Before Ladybug could break it, though, instead of fire coming out of the silvery end, a small butterfly did. Then another, and another, and finally a swarm of them.

“What are you–”

“It’s not me! It’s the flamethrower!”

A face formed out of the butterflies-Akumas, Chat hypothesized, staring up at the swarm before him. A crowd was forming at a distance, he noted, including video cameras and a familiar face. Ladybug hopped down to stand next to Chat, nearly taking his hand.

_ Stay calm. They don’t know it’s you. _

He looked up at the butterface. “Night Vale, I am Hawk Moth. Ladybug, Chat Noir.”  _ Oh. Oh, great, he knows my name.  _ “I want your Miraculouses. The earrings of the Ladybug, the ring of the Black Cat. I will not hurt anyone if you give up now.”

The entire square fell silent once he finished. Almost as if he was expecting for them to give up. Chat glanced first at ExplosLiv-She was stuck on the ground on her hands and knees, almost as if she was a young child or too weak to move at all-and then glanced at Ladybug. Ladybug was still staring, slack-jawed, at Hawk Moth’s butterfly face before them. Chat bit his lip nervously.  _ Do something!  _ He thought. No movement. He swallowed.  _ Screw anxiety, get your butt up there. _

“Nice try, Hawk Moth. But you’re not scaring me at all.” Chat took his staff from Ladybug’s hand, and shot upwards, balancing on it upright. “If anything, you’re just reading from the same script everyone else does. I see you’re even lying to get your way–You won’t hurt anyone? For some odd reason, I don’t believe you. Maybe since you forced a lady to torch the town? But listen here, mister. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, Ladybug and I will take you down, and save this town. Cataclysm!” He called out, and raised his hand. A black energy surrounded his hand, and he leaned forwards slightly, just enough to tilt the staff and fall into the face before him, dragging his hand through the akumas as he went.

“Ladybug, your yo-yo!”

“Got it, Kitty!” Ladybug grinned, running forwards.

“Stop calling me that!”

Ladybug ignored him and simply threw the yo-yo upwards, dragging it through the face until the butterflies were gone, all captured. He landed beside Chat after a second, breathing hard, still clutching the yo-yo in his hand tightly, staring at the space where all of the butterflies had been.

A loud snap ran out as Chat stomped on and broke the flamethrower that Ladybug had dropped to the ground. Ladybug grabbed the final akuma with his yo-yo before it could fly away. “There,” he breathed, smiling for a second. He threw the coat hanger upwards. “Miraculous ladybug!”

“That might be a tiny bit of an overstatement, m’lady,” Chat grumbled. As he watched, however, a flood of ladybugs swept the area, cleaning up the flames and ash. Finally they reached Olivia, and she stumbled to her feet, brushing her hair out of her face.

“...Where am I? Don’ remember goin’ out this far…” She blinked at them. “What time is it?”

“It’s time for you to go home. Get some rest, miss,” Chat replied. “I’m certain you’ll hear about what happened on the news.”

“Alrigh’ then…” Liv shrugged, and stuffed her hands in her pockets, walking off at a leisurely pace. Chat watched her go with a slight smile. At least she was alright.

Ladybug pushed the button on the side of the yo-yo, and the flood of black butterflies he had just caught returned– This time, however, they were gentle white ones. The pair of superheroes stood in silence, surrounded by butterflies.

The first reporter finally reached them after a moment, Chat still holding his staff in a single hand and breathing silently. Both Chat and Ladybug turned to look. Cecil Palmer stood before them. He seemed awestruck.

“So, you two– Uh, what do I call you? I– wow.” Cecil’s face turned the shade of a cherry, and he looked away. “I–Uh– You guys are amazing.” Chat couldn't help but grin at Cecil's stammering.  _ How does he make that cute..? I just make it awkward... _

“I'm Ladybug. This is Chat Noir.” Ladybug grinned. “And I gotta go. I'm gonna wear off soon. Good luck, Kitty!” Ladybug threw the yo-yo, and zoomed away before Chat could tell him to not leave.

Too many people crowded around the remaining Chat in seconds, and he tried to talk to all of them. It didn't work. Too many microphones, too many flashing cameras, too much overload. He could see all of it, whether he wanted to or not. Too much. Chat's heart raced in an instant, and the faces began to blur. He recognized it, the familiar feeling of a beginning panic attack. 

He pulled out the staff, faked a final smile, and used the staff to force his way out of the mob of people. Even away from Cecil. Chat just couldn't. He couldn't breathe or think. He collapsed in a small street, immediately turning back into Carlos.  
"I can't," He muttered. Plagg blinked.  
"Carlos...?"  
"I can't do this. I can't do this. I can't do this." Carlos repeated the words, his heartbeat speeding up in an instant. _I'm not Chat. I'm not a superhero. What if next time it's me, or Michael, or even Dana? Oh, gods,_ ** _Dana!_**  
Carlos stopped breathing for a second, his attempts only snagging on the lump in his throat. _I can't do this. What if Olivia gets in trouble again? Or someone finds out? Or I get hurt in one of these situations? I can't. I can't do this._  
_You're going to fail. You're going to be the_ ** _worst_** _Chat Noir ever,_ A voice in the back of his head told him. _You're going to fail._  
He couldn't even think past that. Everything was fuzzy and impossible to focus on but his fears. _You're going to fail._  
His breathing returned for an instant, in shallow and quick gasps through his terrible thoughts. _You're going to fail._  
"I can't do this," He mumbled. "I just can't."  
Plagg ducked into his lab coat uninvited, and Carlos just tried to focus on his lab coat go take his mind off of everything else. Had that always been there, the tiny imperfections of the buttons' loose stitching. It seemed like each stitch was a mile apart, and he nearly fell through into a sea of "You're going to fail."  
A gentle voice caught him. Olivia. "Hey. Hey, Carls. Jus' breathe, 'Kay? I'm gonna get you home. So jus' a warnin', I'm gonna be holding you. Is that okay with ya?" Olivia spoke so much slower than usual, her words were so much louder than they should be, drowning out the low rumble of cars that Carlos could barely hear, and Carlos looked up at her in a mix of fear and need.  
"Y-Yeah." He mumbled. It sounded like he was shouting to his ears, and he winced away from the feeling. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and he felt himself being lifted off the ground.   
"Jus' take some deep breaths. In... Out... There ya go," Olivia comforted him. "Jus' keep breathin'. It's gonna be alright. In... Out... You're doin' great."   
The calm breathing helped him somewhat, and he tried to relax into her, but every small scratchy bit of the wooly fabric she was wearing didn't help. If anything it set him more on edge.  
Olivia continued to carry him gently until he could finally breathe again, and then they sat down for a moment on the ground.  
"What caused it this time, Carls?" Olivia asked quietly.  
Carlos stared at her for a second. _You went mad, I had to go pretend to be a superhero and stop you, and now there's a supervillain who wants to kill me. And I had to do a dramatic speech._  
"It was nothing."

His heart still raced. Lying to his friend didn't help one bit.  
"Oh... Thank goodness I was passin' by, right?" Olivia grinned. "Coulda been a whole lot worse."  
"Yeah... Why were you...?" He trailed off. _Why were you attacking me?_  
Olivia took it another way. "No idea. Just found a coupl'a superheros starin' me down all of a sudden."

 _She doesn’t know._  
"But hey. It's alrigh' now, yeah?"  
"Yeah." They sat in silence for a long time, allowing Carlos's heart to stop racing and for him to finally feel alright enough to stand again, and Carlos finally got up after another fifteen minutes. “Thanks,” he mumbled, “for putting up with me during that.”

“Anytime, Carls.”

He hoped it wasn’t anytime. Especially if this had to happen again. But as he walked away, clutching his lab coat around him, with a cold breeze blowing in his tightly tied ponytail once again, Carlos knew two things.

One, he had just gotten himself into something a million times bigger than him, or whomever was behind the Ladybug mask, or even both of them combined.

Two, he didn’t regret a thing about it. **__**

**Author's Note:**

> How did I do? I know it's long, and that my French isn't any good, but I'm only at the second year of French.  
> Anyways. So...  
> How am I doing? I'll post the rest as soon as I can. There's 8 episodes written, but the next few have ideas. Well. For the first season. Season two, on the other hand... is a minor mess still.  
> But hey. That's for later. Right?


End file.
